Would you consider this tank safe for Ick treatment???

[synyster11]

Ok, I have having a bad Ich outbreak and I was wondering if you guys think this tank is safe for some Ich treatment product. Here are the specs:
80gallon
Fluval 404
80lbs of dead live rock "previous owner let the tank go downhill"
5lbs of Living Live rock
1 Blue tang
1 Naso tang
1 Salfin tang
1 Green tip sea anemone
2 Ricordia Mushrooms
1 Sea Apple "getting rid of soon"
1 Large Brittle Star
1 Serpent Star
1 HorseShoe Crab
1 Cleaner Shrimp
1 Banded Coral Shrimp
1 Arrow Crab
A bunch of hermits and snails
A bunch of purple algae spreading
and ground coral bottom.
To the eye this tanks looks like a reef tank, but would you consider this tank a reef tank. This tank was basically free and I am really on a budget so do you think it would be ok to use some Ich chemical treatment they sell at LFS. What would die if I did use a chemical treatment. If the 5lbs of live rock dies, that's ok, considering the value of the fish. I am in the process of setting up a Hospital Tank for Hypo treatments, but for now I am looking for something that could work in my main tank. If you think I could use some product out there, what one do you recommend. I have searched the site, and I know hypo is the best solution, but I really don't have time for that right now. I barley have time to make to the damn pet store to buy the treatment. : (

 

[simm]

Copper and hyposalinity will kill most of what you have in your tank off. It would be best bet and safer in the long run to setup an extra hospital tank. Hyposalinity is the best but it will kill your LR as well. Just go get a cheep 10 - 20 gallon tank, heater, something for circulation and maybe a small cheep filter. No lights are needed and dont use a substrate.

 

[robb]

If you use copper most of that stuff will die and you will never be able to put any inverts in the tank again. The way I understand it is that once you dose with copper you can never get it all out.

 

[jim672]

synyster11,
You've really answered your own question.....the best and most effective treatment for ich is hypo. I can tell you one thing from my personal experience, the non-copper chemical ich treatment products out there DON'T WORK!! Products with copper may help your ich problem but it will be absorbed into your rock and substate and will kill your coral and inverts for a long, long time.
Until you get the Hospital tank going, you could try soaking your fish food in garlic. Garlic does help strengthen the immune system of the fish.
Get the Hospital tank set up quickly and follow the directions I'm sure you've already read for hypo.
One of the contributing factors in your ich problem has to be the livestock you have. Three tangs in an 80 gallon tank is not good. One tang is really all you should have. If you can, try to find a good home for two of them. If you don't, it's likely your ich problem will return. Tangs need lots of room to swim and if they don't have it, they stress.... causing ich.
Last.....be careful with the sea apple. If it dies before you get rid of it, it may poison your tank.
Jim

 

[azonic]

I too would use hypo if it happened to me again. I've only had one ich outbreak and that was early in my tanks life. I lost one fish because of it...the rest recovered. I tried a couple non-copper reef safe meds.....none of them worked....and one of them(greenex) actually seemed to stress the fish even more.
If you have the time to maintain the 80 gallon tank, you have time to maintain a small hospital....im sure you could pick up a used 20-25 gallon tank for around $15 or so....Its well worth it..especially like you said, considering the value of the fish.

 

[synyster11]

Hmmmph, Ok, well not exactly what I wanted to hear, but I know to ask you guys first. Thanx for the tips. I was hoping there was a non-coper teatment that would werk in my tank considering most of the LR is dead anyway from the previous owner, but it does not sound like anyone has had any luck with them. Thanx for the info.

 

[jarrod]

No Greenex! Azonic is right about it stressing the fish.
I see you also have a Naso tang. We do too and the tank he's in we had an ick outbreak. Treated with greenex (always had luck with it) and cleared the ick, but our naso then had bloody viens appear in his tail fin. Then treated with marcaryn 2 which cleared up the naso. Again had ick and used the greenex. Same thing happened to the naso. For some reason the greenex makes our naso sick, so we quit using the greenex and use the hypo treatment.
Good Luck!
Christina

 

[herkemer]

We used a product called Kick-Ich. It didn't totally eliminate the ich but it did nock it down enough where the fish recovered on there own and nothing else died.

 

[clarkiiboi]

Like stated above, IF the ich is minor, try the garlic treatment to boost the immune system. If it does work, and all of it clears up, then keep at it at least once a week for preventative measures. Hypo is best, but garlic may (50/50) help with small/minor breakouts. HTH